Chain propeller



April 1, 1924.` l 1,489,218

E. N. KERR CHAIN PROPELLER' FiledaJan. 50 1924 2 sheetg-sheet 2willi/lll; n w/ Filed Jan. 30 v1924 2 Sheets-Sheet' 1 Patented Apr. l,1924.

UNITED STATES ERNEST N'. KEER, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

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Application filed January B0, 1924. Serial N70. 689,579.

To all 'Lo/Lam t may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST N. KERK, acitizen of the United States, resident of Rock island, in the State ofillinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in ChainPropellers; and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactldescription of the same, such as will enable othersy skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or iigures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rlhe invention has relation to propellers designed primarily for marinevessels and of the paddle wheel type, having for an object to increasethe speedy and eiciency of the propeller with a given expenditure ofpower. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists-in the novel construction and combinations ofparts as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention, as applied.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Figure 1, partly broken away.

Figure 4 is a detail end view of one of the carriages, partly brokenaway.

Figure 5 is a detail fragmentary side view of a section of the sprocketchain, and its connection with one of the carriages.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Figure 5, enlarged.

Figure 7 isa plan view of the showing o Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a detail side view of one of the forked members.

Figure 9 shows detail side and cross sectional views of one of the chainpins of the carriage.

Figure 10 is a detail side view of one of the body members.

Figure 11 is a detail plan view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of theinvention, the numeral 1 designates the hull of the-boat to which theinvention is shown as applied, and having rearwardly extending frames orsupp0rts'2, wherein the power shaft 3 of the propeller is journaled at iand the endless tracks 5 of the propeller are supported at 6.

These parallel endless tracks 5 are spaced horizontally at 7 and locatedtherebetween is the endless drive or sprocket chain 8, passing over thesprocket wheels 9, one at each end of said tracks.y

The paddle blades 10, are located one at veach end of each carriage 11,said blades being parallel and horizontally spaced and extendingoutwardly at right angles to said carriage.

Each carriage 11 is provided with trucks 12, one at each end, andpivoted respectively to the carriage at 13, and movable upon theirpivots in passing around the curves or ends of the tracks to admit offree movement, said trucks having upper and lower wheelsv 12 runningupon the upper and lower endless bearing surfaces of theltraclcs 5.

lt is found in practice that the endless tracks 5 should be ofelliptical form, rather than as shown in my Patent No. 988,112, datedMarch 28, 1911, upon which the present inventicn is an improvement, thefoci of the ellipse being adjacent to the shafts of the sprocket wheels9, this necessitating a spacing of the sides of the elliptical tracksoutwardly from the stretches of the sprocket chain 8, as shown at 14,the reason for this being mainly that the strain upon the trucks andwheels may be relieved when the propeller is run athigh speed, due tothe more gradual change of position of the trucks and wheels when movingaround the track, a greater range of movement of the trucks and wheelsbeing a necessary consequence.

In order to provide for this greater range of movement kof the carriages11, each carriageis provided with an inwardly extending member 15,having therein a slot 16, extending outwardly at right angles to thechain 8, and wherein is located a roller 17, working in the slot 16, andheld in position by the forks 18 of a member 15a, engaging annulargrooves 19 of the stub shafts 20 of said rollers, said member 15a beingbolted at 15b to a body member 15c taking the place of a link of saidchain, said forks locking the rollers 17 as well as two chain pins 23 inplace, the latter being longer than the usual chain pins 23 and providedat their ends with sector form grooves 24 engaged by said forks. Theslotted members 15 are provided in duplicate and spaced horizontally,the driving chain 8 being located therebetween and the rollers 17 beingalso in duplicate one at each side of said chain, said member 15 beingprovided with oil grooves 21 leading to the grooves 19 of the stubshafts.

As the carriages 11 pass around the tracks 5, the rollers 17 will movefrom one end of the slots 16 to the other ends thereof, the range ofmovement being considerable, this movement taking place twice for eachcomplete revolution of the carriage around the endless tracks.

The elliptical tracks 5 are slightly tilted upwardly from front to rearin order to enable the feathering of the paddle blades to be betteraccomplished, in leaving the water.

r he carriages 11 are provided with tie rods 25 and cross brackets 26,thereby providing for light weight construction and increased strength.

Any number of carriages may be provided to accord with the length of theelliptical tracks and with the power desired for propulsion purposes,and each carriage may be provided with one or more blades.

Should increased power be desired, the most eflicient diameter for thetwo sprocket wheels of the driving chain gear being ascertained, thedistance between these sprockets is increased as needed and the numberof the carriages 11 and propeller blades 10 likewise increased.

rlhe oil pockets 22 feeding to the rollers 17 are arranged so that theoil will not wash out, and the carriage wheels and trucks are designedso that they may be well oiled. Roller or ball bearings may obviously beusedl if desired without change of the design. The design also providesfor removal of the sprockets, drive shaft and carriages, as also thesprocket chain, without interfering with the endless tracks.

An advantage of this type of propeller is that half of the propellerblades are always in action, whereas with the circular paddle wheelslocated at rear or side of boat, and for which the present device ismainly intended as a substitute,only about one fifth of the propellerblades are workii'lg at one time.

rEhe center line of the sprockets should be at such an angle with thewater line that ample clearance may be given the propeller blades, sothat I:'said blades will be some height from the water before movingaround the rear end of the elliptical track, i. e. the elliptical tracksare slightly tilted upwardly from front to rear. This aids in featheringthe blades in leaving the water, and inasmuch as there will befrequently quite a number of the propeller blades and quite a number oftrucks carrying the same, considerably more than shown in the drawings,for large installations, the blades will enter the water approximatelyin vertical position for proper feathering. The drive is practically ina straight line and will have the full length needed in side wheel use.llith two blades to each carriage, the carriages should be spaced apartso that all of the propeller blades will be equally spaced.

1 claim 1. A chain propeller, having in combination opposite trackshaving upper and lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, acarriage having pivotcd trucks provided with upper and lower wheelsrunning upon said bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or morepaddle blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection withsaid carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced at the sidesthereof outwardly above and below the chain of said gearing, and saidcarriage having a slot and pin con nection with said chain and workinginwardly and outwardly thereof upon said slot and pin connection.

2. A chain propeller having in combination opposite tracks having upperand lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriagehaving pivot-ed trucks provided with upper and lower wheels runnino4upon said bearing surfaces, each carriage lhaving one or more propellerblades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with saidcarriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced outwardly above andbelow the chain of said gearing and slightly tilted from front to rear,and said carriage having a slot and pin connection with said chain.

3. A chain propeller, having in combination opposite tracks having upperand lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriagehaving pivoted trucks provided with upper and lower wheels running uponsaid bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or more propellerblades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with saidcarriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced outwardly above andbelow the chain of said gearing', and said carriage having a slot andpin connection with said chain, said connection including roller pinsworking in said slots and having stub shafts provided withcircumferential grooves, and a member the body, of which is providedwith forks engaging said grooves and locking said pins in place andhaving oil passages communicating with said grooves, the body of saidmember having an oil pocket communicating with said oil grooves.

4. A chain propeller, having in combination opposite tracks having upperand lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces, a carriagehaving pivoted trucks provided with upper and lower wheels ruiming uponsaid bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or more propellerblades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection with saidcarriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced outwardly above andbelow the chain of said gearing, and said carriage having a slot and pinconnection with said chain, said connection including roller pinsworking in said slots and having' stub shafts provided withcircumferential grooves, said chain having adjacent said connectioncross pins provided with grooves, `and said connection further includinga member provided with forks engaging the grooves of said stub shaftsand of said cross pins and locking the same in place and taking theplace of a link of said chain.

5. A chain propeller having in combination opposite tracks having upperand lower oppositely disposed endless bearing surfaces,y a carriagehaving pivoted trucks provided with upper and lower wheels running uponsaid endless bearing surfaces, each carriage having one or morepropeller blades, and sprocket gearing having operative connection withsaid carriage, said tracks being elliptical and spaced above and belowthe chain of said gearing and said carriage having a slot and pinconnection with said chain including a roller-pin carryingmember forminga link of said chain.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature.

ERNEST N. KERR.

